Free Republic

S. Orange, NJ - Lost amidst the many speeches delivered at the Democrat Convention was one by Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada. He is the Senate Majority Leader and, as such, controls the legislative agenda in that upper house of Congress. Harry Reid hates oil, but then, so does the Democrat Party. The reason this nation is held hostage to other oil producing nations is that the Democrats, going back to President Jimmy Carter, have waged war on the American oil industry. This is especially important insofar as nations ruled by monarchies, corrupt, and communist governments, control 75% of the...

Barack Obama received many ovations during his acceptance speech at the Democratic convention in Denver. Perhaps the most enthusiastic applause from the crowd of 84,000 came after the senator from Illinois declared: "And for the sake of our economy, our security and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as president: In 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East." Excuse us for sitting on our hands, but Obama's claims about energy just don't add up. Of course, that means he is no different from any other Washington politico. But...

Saturday, September 6, 2008 McCain to make Palin energy czar The Sunday Telegraph is reporting that John McCain wants to put Sarah Palin in charge of US oil and energy policy if he becomes president:The Republican presidential candidate will make his running mate the public face of the country's drive for energy independence, according to a McCain campaign official. The campaign official said: "The Democrats say that Governor Palin is inexperienced, but she has vast experience in the energy sector. She will be at the forefront of the push for energy independence. She's popular and she's very persuasive." A Republican...

If the chOIce is between oil rigs off Virginia Beach or windmills, it's no choice at all:- Petroleum is the fuel of the past; wind is energy for the future.- Petroleum contributes to global warming; wind doesn't.- Burning petroleum pollutes; wind won't.- Drilling for oil and gas leaves toxic chemicals in the water; wind can't.- Oil and gas spill; spilled wind is called "air."- Petroleum requires intrusive on-shore facilities; wind requires a connection to the electric grid.- There isn't enough petroleum off Virginia to make a difference in prices; the state is considered the best location for a wind...

Here is a great pre-VP video of Palin discussing energy. Hope it hasn't been posted before.

At a press conference given by some House Republicans a short time ago, we were reminded (and I had totally forgotten about it) that it has been 5 weeks since Speaker Nancy Pelosi gaveled the House of Representatives to a close for their summer vacation without giving Republicans an "up or down vote" on their energy bill. Republican Congresspeople have been taking turns going back to Washington to demand Pelosi reconvene and allow a vote for the sake of the American people. Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio reiterated that their bill will provide Americans a more diverse supply of...

As the debate focuses on Palin instead of what she stands for (more drilling, rights of the unborn, end to corruption) we give away the strongest points in her favor and ours. When we get fixated on what the MSM and the Democrats say, when we counter it by engaging in their talking points, we are not focusing on the issues. That is the game they want you to play. Don't play it. We lose the debate by playing their game and respond to their ad hominem attack. The game can not be won on defense in response to a...

The Republican presidential candidate will make his running mate the public face of the country's drive for energy independence, according to a McCain campaign official. Mr McCain, whose selection of Mrs Palin has electrified Republican supporters, wants to capitalise on her expertise in the oil and gas sector while governor of Alaska. He believes that her record of taking on oil company chiefs will help convince the public that his government would not be in the pocket of energy fat cats, a perception that has damaged George W.Bush's poll ratings. The move would give Mr McCain political cover to resume...

Question: Some people might say: "Look, even though opening up ANWR has been a symbolic issue for Republicans, the oil there may only have a marginal effect on reducing overseas dependence. Why is ANWR so important and how do we know that there's actually enough oil there to really make a difference? Palin's Answer: Because just that swath of land in that refuge alone is estimated to hold about 11 billion barrels of oil and 9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. And those are just the areas that have been explored. That's about a year and a half worth...

Taipei, Sept 03: Taiwan called on Wednesday for expansion in cooperation on oil exploration and development with China amid warming ties between the two rivals. The CPC Corp, Taiwan, the island's state-run oil refiner, said it has proposed to work with China's CNOOC Ltd to explore possible oil reserves in the East China Sea. "We have expressed the willingness to CNOOC to work together in the East China Sea," CPC Vice President Chu Shao-hua told media. "CPC is waiting for CNOOC's response, hoping both sides will kick off talks on the proposal," he said. CPC and CNOOC set up a...

Russia's role in the Iran crisis By Ray Takeyh and Nikolas Gvosdev September 6, 2008 IT IS ONE of the rites of passage of the fall - every September, the Bush administration returns to the United Nation for another sanctions resolution against Iran. However, this time there is much consternation in Washington that Russia's invasion of Georgia - and the subsequent chill that has descended on relations between Russia and the West - has ended any possibility of cooperation between the United States and Russia in dealing with Iran's nuclear imbroglio. Such fears are overblown. Russia's assault on Georgia may...

Iran says oil price is right at $100 a barrel Angela Jameson Pressure for a cut in oil output at next week's Opec meeting in Vienna stepped up today when Iran’s Opec governor said an oil price of $100 per barrel was “appropriate” in current conditions. Mohammad Ali Khatibi made his comments as the price of Brent crude fell by $1.77 to $104.30 today while US oil also declined to $106.12. Oil is now trading nearly 30 per cent lower than its peak of $147.27 on July 11. Mr Khatibi also reiterated Iran’s view that Opec's 13 members, who are...

This woman is soooo on her game, Biden is just toast.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is trying to figure out if more than 150 underground fuel tanks -- including one each in Clifton and Lodi -- are leaking diesel fuel into the soil and groundwater. First, though, they need to find out where they are. The agency knows of at least 150 underground tanks, some of which were built for federal emergency storage dating back to the 1950s, that need to be inspected for leaks, according to spokeswoman Debbie Wing. FEMA also is trying to determine by September whether an additional 124 tanks are underground or aboveground and whether they...

PRESIDENT Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s failing health may have worsened in the last few days contrary to official claims that all is well with the president. Saturday Tribune sources in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Friday night confirmed that in the last few days the Nigerian President’s health had worsened as he was said to be too weak and his body too fragile to withstand the proposed kidney trasplant. But details of his condition were not available as at the press time yesterday. Also, it was learnt that the security around the hospital had been beefed up as most Nigerian government officials...

Link only, AP article (rules, y'know).

LONDON (AFP) - Oil prices fell below 105 dollars Friday on concerns over slowing energy demand and a strong US currency, while the market awaited next week's OPEC meeting on crude output levels, traders said. Brent North Sea crude for delivery in October dropped 97 cents to 105.33 dollars a barrel in electronic deals after slipping under 105 dollars earlier in the day. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for October, fell 96 cents to 106.93 dollars a barrel in pit trading. "Crude prices featured on the downside on persistent concerns over weakening oil demand and as the US...

 THANK YOU REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN!JOB WELL DONE!WE, THE AMERICAN, PEOPLE THANK YOU!FIVE FULL WEEKS! STORM DC with your CALLS FOLKS!Hit the Dems- THIS IS JOB ONE!-- GET TO IT SLACKERS!THANK OUR GOP HOUSE FOLKS FOR STAYING AND FIGHTING THE FIGHT!For Anyone Who has Not Met Congressman Broun from GAYOU WILL LOVE HIM!! Click HERE and Learn About HisFOUR WAY TEST! Please continue prayers for Jim Robinson and TrueblackmanPalin Video on Drilling!Randy Evans LIVE from RNC talks Palin and Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less!!Randy wants to get you the answers! Freepmail me if you would like Randy to talk to anyone as...

According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the US imported 3,661,404,000 barrels of crude oil in 2007. That’s royalties the US Treasury didn’t collect, directly added to the annual budget deficit and ultimately the national debt. So how much money did the Democrats with their drilling ban cost the US Treasury last year? The bigger question is how much would the price of oil drop to if the US Congress had gotten it’s act together and stopped playing politics as our friends at CORE are so upset about? According to Representative John Peterson (R) of Pennsylvania’s 5th District, the current...

ANKARA -- At the moment, 60 percent of Turkey's natural gas and about half of its crude oil demand are supplied by Russia. The report said that any possible disturbance in crude oil needs to be supplied from other countries and the international spot market, however, a similar solution for a natural gas crisis is not available. Turkey has threatened to retaliate against new Russian import controls that are seen as an attempt to punish Turkey for allowing U.S. warships carrying aid to Georgia to pass through the Turkish straits, which connect the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. Experts do...

High energy prices have become a bitterly contested political issue. Republicans are bashing Democrats for standing in the way of drilling for more oil and gas at home, while Democrats retort that their rivals are misleading the American public by saying that such drilling would significantly lower prices. Yet amid the partisan bomb-throwing over America's future energy policy, Washington is actually making a rare effort to forge a compromise. Over the summer a group of five GOP and five Democratic senators, dubbed the Gang of 10, hammered out a comprehensive energy proposal. And now, after taking withering heat from both...

Pelosi Statement on Comprehensive Energy Plan of New Direction CongressTue Sep 2, 5:43 PM ET **SNIP** WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement in response to President Bush's comments today on energy: "For too long, the President's and Republicans' 'drill only' energy policies have reflected the demands of Big Oil. "The New Direction Congress is crafting a comprehensive energy strategy that will provide relief for consumers, end our dependence on foreign oil, create millions of jobs and grow our economy. The Democratic plan will promote efficiency and invest in renewable sources of energy, responsibly increase...

Be sure to READ THIS!!Please continue prayers for Jim Robinson and TrueblackmanPalin Video on Drilling!Randy Evans LIVE from RNC talks Palin and Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less!!Randy wants to get you the answers! Freepmail me if you would like Randy to talk to anyone as the Conventionfor information or any quesitons you may have. He will be joining us LIVE all week.Poll: 74% Support Drilling CONGRESSMAN MIKE PENCE Joins Bill Collier of DontGo on BTR!Today, Tuesday, August 26th at 4:30 pm EDT!DON'T MISS THIS SHOW!  Brokaw, Pelosi and Pickens"Media" Tries to Downplay Pelosi's Abuse of PowerBut the REAL Media Says "NOT...

Biden flatly told voters this afternoon that he opposes offshore drilling for oil and gas and lambasted companies for failing to tap many coastal sites they have already leased from the federal government. He also said the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which holds more than 700 million barrels of oil, should be emptied into the retail market to lower gas prices.

ST. PAUL (Reuters) - U.S. reliance on imported oil poses a national security risk, and energy policy should include everything from expanding domestic drilling to finding alternative fuels, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said on Wednesday. In her speech accepting the vice presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention, Palin said a natural gas pipeline under construction in Alaska would one day "lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart." She said the United States should not be so reliant on imported oil that it has to tap its...

OPEC crude oil price plunges five-month low Vienna, Sep 3 : The price for crude oil produced by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has plunged to its lowest level since early April, according to OPEC data released Wednesday. One barrel (159 litres) of OPEC-produced crude stood at $103.40 Tuesday, $6.62 less than $110.02 on the previous day. Markets were affected by the fact that Hurricane Gustav had mostly spared oil facilities, as well as by the stronger US dollar against the euro, Vienna-based energy analysts JBC said. The last time OPEC crude cost less was on April 9,...

Hedge funds caught out as Hurricane Gustav fails to lift oil price Miles Costello Several hedge funds face big financial losses after wrongly predicting that oil and gas prices would rise as a result of Hurricane Gustav slamming into the Gulf coast of the US earlier this week. As Gustav swept towards New Orleans on Monday, catastrophe experts were predicting insured losses of up to $7 billion (£3.9 billion) as offshore oil rigs faced destruction and the storm threatened energy supplies. Commodities hedge funds saw the glum prediction as an opportunity, betting heavily, using the futures market, that prices would...

The No. 1 economic issue this election is gasoline prices at the pump. The tax-hike effect of surging oil on global markets that has translated into a huge spike at your local gas station has drained the economy of its vitality. It has damaged consumer purchasing power, made it tougher to pay mortgages on time, worsened the credit crunch, raised the inflation rate, undermined corporate profits and thrown stocks into the first bear market in five years. Of course, with all the political hoopla from the Denver Democrats, it's easy to forget the populist revolt against high pump prices. Sen....

IER analyzes energy ‘plan’ proposed by the Speaker of the House On Saturday, August 16, the Speaker of the House delivered a radio address focused on energy issues. The following analyzes some of the claims and proposal outlined by the Speaker in that address.THE SPEAKER: “Over the past few months alone, Republicans have voted down our efforts to expand domestic drilling, opposed clean energy alternatives, and rejected requiring oil companies to produce from the public lands they already control. President Bush even refused our request to suspend buying oil at record prices for the federal stockpile until we passed a...

Rising oil prices in recent years have again raised the question whether worldwide oil production has reached a peak. Various analysts have suggested that the rapid run up in prices indicates that if oil hasn’t yet reached its peak of production, it will do so very soon.At the same time, though, the world keeps discovering new reserves as higher prices provide incentives to bring more oil onto the market. As the above table demonstrates, the world’s oil reserves have steadily increased in the face of rising consumption.The Energy Information Administration has reported that “the world production peak for conventionally reservoired...

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday secured agreement from Uzbekistan to start building a new gas pipeline to Russia in a deal that bolsters Moscow's sway over Central Asian energy supplies. In the wake of Russia's war with Georgia, it also strengthens Moscow's hand with the European Union, which has been looking to secure energy supplies that bypass Russia. Uzbek President Islam Karimov, after meeting with Putin in Tashkent on Tuesday, announced that the new pipeline would carry up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, boosting Russian imports by 50 percent. Gazprom will set up...

Be sure to READ THIS!!Please continue prayers for Jim Robinson and TrueblackmanRandy Evans LIVE from RNC talks Palin and Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less!!Randy wants to get you the answers! Freepmail me if you would like Randy to talk to anyone as the Conventionfor information or any quesitons you may have. He will be joining us LIVE all week.Poll: 74% Support Drilling CONGRESSMAN MIKE PENCE Joins Bill Collier of DontGo on BTR!Today, Tuesday, August 26th at 4:30 pm EDT!DON'T MISS THIS SHOW!  Brokaw, Pelosi and Pickens"Media" Tries to Downplay Pelosi's Abuse of PowerBut the REAL Media Says "NOT SO FAST!"  DON'T STOP...

When Sarah Palin Took on Big Oil And Kicked Butt Who would you feel more comfortable sitting across a desk staring down the nut job Ahmadinejad ? A) Joe Biden B) Barack Obama C) Sarah Palin The only correct answer is C, Sarah Palin. You see, while none of the three has had the opportunity to negotiate with the SOB from Iran, Biden and Obama's only negotiating experience consists of getting the best furniture for their Senate Office. In her first year as Governor Sarah Palin took on the third largest Oil company in the world and negotiated their arses...

Oil prices extended their losses Wednesday, a day after plunging nearly $6 a barrel, as oil market traders shifted their attention from tropical weather to a stronger dollar and falling demand for petroleum products

September 03, 2008 Sarah Palin, Our Energy Answer Larry Kudlow The number-one economic issue this election is gasoline prices at the pump. The tax-hike effect of surging oil on global markets that has translated to a huge spike at your local gas station has drained the economy of its vitality. It has damaged consumer purchasing power, made it tougher to pay mortgages on time, worsened the credit crunch, raised the inflation rate, undermined corporate profits, and thrown stocks into the first bear market in five years. Of course, with all the political hoopla from the Denver Democrats, it’s easy to...

BBC News reports that another hedge fund has closed down thanks to its failure to bail out of the oil speculation trade that boosted oil to a peak of $147 in July. This is yet another piece of evidence that people like Hank Paulson, who insisted that record oil prices were due to supply and demand, were either being less than honest -- particularly since his former employer Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS) was a big beneficiary of this speculation -- or ignorant of reality. The hedge fund in question this time is Ospraie Fund, which invested in commodities like...

Michael Smallwood looks more like a roadie than a scientist, sporting a shoulder-length silver mane, and jeans and a T-shirt rather than a white lab coat. But he's spent nearly two decades tinkering with a gel-like chemical compound that squeezes oil from rock, sand, dirt and whatever else it clings to. That could pay off now that his boss and benefactor, Kurt Neubauer, saw enough promise to found a company to make the substance and market it. "Discovery is the most important part of science," said Smallwood, chief science officer for Neubauer's startup, Planet Resource Recovery. With Smallwood's creation in...

Gov. Sarah Palin is a rising political star in Alaska, with an 84% approval rating. A strong advocate of opening her state to more oil drilling, she recently spoke with IBD. Palin: There are great misconceptions about the developments up here. Take ANWR. The misperception is that this is a huge swath of pristine land, full of mountains and rivers and wildlife. Those are the pictures seen on TV. But what we're talking about with ANWR is a 2,000-acre plot of land that is a smaller footprint than LAX or big airports outside Alaska. Palin: ANWR would take five years...

Congress: If anyone still thinks Democrats can provide leadership on the No. 1 issue of the day — energy — then Harry Reid's remarks to their party's convention last week should dispel the notion for good.Last month's invasion by Russia of neighboring Georgia showed the utter bankruptcy of the Democrats' energy policies. With its attack, Russia seized control of the main non-Russian pipeline from the energy-rich Caspian to Europe, giving it a stranglehold over nearly a third of Europe's energy supplies. So what do the Democrats have to do with this? Plenty. By refusing to let companies drill for energy...

Sarajevo, 2 Sept. (AKI) – A Canadian firm will begin exploring potential oil reserves in northeastern Bosnia worth an estimated 80 billion dollars, Sarajevo daily Oslobodjenje said on Tuesday. Preliminary research has indicated that some 50 million tonnes of crude oil may be lying near the northeastern town of Tuzla and further research will start this month. Representatives from the Canadian company, Seedrock Capital Partners, are due in Bosnia this month to seek agreement on the terms of an exploration agreement with the government, the paper said. The company is reportedly ready to invest 40 million euros in initial research...

Iraq and China have agreed on the terms of a $3 billion oil service contract, the Iraqi oil minister said Wednesday, announcing his country's first major oil contract with a foreign company since the fall of Saddam Hussein. The oil minister, Hussain al- Shahristani, warned that time was running out for big Western oil companies, which have pressed for years for Iraqi contracts, to seal even short-term deals that had been expected to mark their return to Iraq, which has the world's third-largest oil reserves after Saudi Arabia and Iran. Iraq and the Chinese state-run oil company, CNPC, have agreed...

Crude oil pared some of its losses but still closed Tuesday's session below the key $110 mark. Light sweet crude moved to $109.71 per barrel, down $5.75 on the session. Oil fell to a fresh multi-month low of $105.46 in electronic trading as Gustav weakened without causing the damage many had feared. Experts say Hurricane Gustav, which was downgraded to a tropical depression, did not cause significant damage to the oil region. New Orleans was spared a direct hit as the storm arrived on Monday weaker than many had feared. While Gustav has faded away, hurricane season is still in...

Be sure to READ THIS!!Please continue prayers for TrueblackmanPoll: 74% Support Drilling CONGRESSMAN MIKE PENCE Joins Bill Collier of DontGo on BTR!Today, Tuesday, August 26th at 4:30 pm EDT!DON'T MISS THIS SHOW!  Brokaw, Pelosi and Pickens"Media" Tries to Downplay Pelosi's Abuse of PowerBut the REAL Media Says "NOT SO FAST!"  DON'T STOP FOLKS!!JUST SAY NO TO GANGS!!Congressman John R Carter of Texas says Gang of 10 a "Bad Deal"Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed a total lack of our "Establishment Media/Misinformation Socialist Monarchy" reporting on the price of gas and food for the past 2 weeks?New FTC Rule Could Apply...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Oil futures tumbled nearly $7 a barrel on Tuesday after Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf region with less force and apparently less damage than nitially feared. Prices were also pulled lower by a strengthening dollar and a return to concerns that an economic slowdown has crippled demand for energy. U.S. crude futures for October delivery dropped $6.81 a barrel to $108.65 at 11:40 a.m. ET.

Hurricane Gustav's rampage through the Gulf of Mexico was a stark reminder that U.S. oil supplies are vulnerable to major storms, analysts said. The downgrading of Gustav's strength eased concerns about major supply disruptions, Frank Verrastro of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told The Washington Post. However, the storm shut down operations at the largest U.S. oil import terminal, the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, and interrupted flow of about 1.2 million barrels of oil a day, the Post reported. On Monday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, requested President Bush release oil supplies from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Bush has...

Summary: The debate over energy and environmental policy has taken a surprising turn. With gasoline hovering around $4 a gallon, environmental groups are on the defensive. Americans want lower gas prices but environmentalists want to use high fuel prices to force dramatic changes on society. Many greens continue to oppose all new energy production, but the major environmental groups have a new strategy. They think their allies in Congress can convince the public that more oil won’t lower gas prices. ... Today’s green activists take their cues from professional pessimists like Paul Ehrlich. He’s the Stanford University professor who famously...

EXTRACTION: Production challenges make project an unsure endeavor. Fingers are crossed at BP as the company's heavy oil project in the Milne Point field moves into its first test phase. The company is lowering a pump into a well designed to extract oil with the consistency of chocolate syrup from the Ugnu formation, a big but shallow oil reservoir just 4,200 feet below the surface. An initial test should take about three weeks, with phase-one testing continuing into next year, with the drilling of three more wells, Eric West, BP's heavy oil project manager, told a media tour of the...

As the Democrats held caucuses on energy policy behind closed doors at their Denver convention last week, House Republicans continued their energy revolt, putting forth solutions to America’s energy crisis to a steady stream of vacationers seated in their colleagues' seats in the House chamber. GOP members continued their invitation to their Democrat colleagues to join the discussion and have an up-or-down vote on an all-of-the-above energy strategy. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, was none too thrilled with what he believes will be constructed by Democrats behind closed doors to then be dumped on Congress without...

The oil and gas industry breathed a tentative sigh of relief Monday after preliminary reports suggested Hurricane Gustav did little damage to energy facilities both onshore and off, helping send oil prices sharply downward. Early updates from Gulf of Mexico drillers and oil and natural gas producers were "very promising," with no major damage reported, said Lars Herbst, regional director for Minerals Management Service, the Interior Department office that regulates the offshore oil and gas industry. Refiners were beginning to send crews Monday to assess facilities in Louisiana, meanwhile, and hoped to resume operations quickly. But Herbst and energy companies...

The head of Russian oil major LUKOIL (LKOH.MM: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Vagit Alekperov, was quoted on Monday as saying that tension between Russia and the West caused by the conflict in Georgia may affect Russian firms' international projects. The brief war, which erupted on Aug. 7 when Russian troops repelled a Georgian attack on pro-Russian South Ossetia, caused some Western governments to accuse Moscow of occupying parts of Georgia and urge other countries to review its ties with Russia. Vedomosti business daily quoted Alekperov as saying that the tensions might complicate the finalisation of LUKOIL's recently agreed joint...